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THIRST.
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waves will carry away that misguided man, viz. his desires which are set on passion.
340. The channels run everywhere, the creeper (of passion) stands sprouting; if you see the creeper springing up, cut its root by means of knowledge.
341. A creature's pleasures are extravagant and luxurious; sunk in lust and looking for pleasure, men undergo (again and again) birth and decay.
342. Men, driven on by thirst, run about like * a snared hare; held in fetters and bonds, they undergo pain for a long time, again and again.
343. Men, driven on by thirst, run about like a snared hare; let therefore the mendicant drive out thirst, by striving after passionlessness for himself.
344. He who having got rid of the forest (of lust) (i.e. after having reached Nirvâna) gives himself over to forest-life (i. e. to lust), and who, when removed from the forest (i. e. from lust), runs to the forest (i. e. to lust), look at that man! though free, he runs into bondage.
explained by Burnouf (Lotus, p. 649), from a gloss of the Ginaalankâra: 'L'indication précise des affections dont un Buddha acte indépendant, affections qui sont au nombre de dix-huit, nous est fourni par la glose d'un livre appartenant aux Buddhistes de Ceylan,' &c. Subhuti gives the right reading as manâpassavanâ ; cf. Childers, Notes, p. 12.
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Vâhâ, which Dr. Fausböll translates by equi,' may be vahâ, 'undae.' Cf. Suttanipâta, v. 1034.
344. This verse seems again full of puns, all connected with the twofold meaning of vana, 'forest and lust.' By replacing 'forest' by 'lust,' we may translate: 'He who, when free from lust, gives himself up to lust, who, when removed from lust runs into lust, look at that man,' &c. Nibbana, though with a short a, may be intended to remind the hearer of Nibbâna. The right reading is nibbanatho; see Childers, Notes, p. 8.
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